Drawn matches during the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup will be decided by drop-goal shoot-outs.

And England number 10 Jonny Wilkinson and Newcastle manager Rob Andrew, who will be remembered for his mammoth injury-time drop goal that sunk Australia in the 1995 World Cup quarter-finals in Cape Town, both believe it's as good a way as any of getting a result.

Newcastle skipper Wilkinson also believes it will give the fans some real excitement - if any game ever gets to that stage.

"It's something which has been built into the tournament and therefore it's a part of the game and we are going to have to prepare for and deal with," Wilkinson told The Journal.

"It's a high-pressure addition to the game and very much like the soccer penalty shoot-out which will cause excitement for spectators."

The England number 10 would certainly be one of the five players picked to take one of the five shots.

Andrew, who was England's leading points scorer and drop-goal exponent until being overtaken by protege Wilkinson, said: "They have to find some way of sorting it out.

"It will be just the same as it is in other cup competitions and at least it would be exciting, wouldn't it, if it got to that stage."

The shoot-out would only come into effect in the knockout stages and only after two separate periods of extra-time.

If the two sides remain tied after extra-time of 10 minutes each way, plus 10 minutes of sudden-death, five players from each side will be nominated to attempt drop goals from different spots behind the 22-metre line.

The World Cup is the last thing on Newcastle minds as they prepare for tomorrow's Premiership match at Bath which could send the West Country side into Division One and the Falcons into a Premiership play-off spot for the Heineken European Cup.

Andrew and his players are refusing to side-tracked by the endless permutations of wildcard play-offs and having made sure they are out the relegation dogfight will concentrate on winning and letting the league positions take care of themselves.

"All we can do is play the game and do our best and whatever happens will happen," said Andrew. "Every team has something to play for this weekend apart from Gloucester, and that's great for fans. I think the play-off idea is fantastic.

"Our aim is to get as many points as we can at Bath, but they are fighting for their lives and they are going to throw the kitchen sink at us, and we are missing three very influential forwards in Stuart Grimes (suspended), Mark Andrews (ribs) and Epi Taione (knee).

"Having said that, we have had to manage without Epi and Mark quite a bit and the players who have been in there have done a great job." Newcastle have yet to name their side but Hugh Vyvyan is expected to move into the second row alongside Craig Hamilton, which could open a back-row spot for fit-again Richard Arnold, Springbok Warren Britz, England sevens winner Phil Dowson or Jon Dunbar.

Cumbrian-born England lock Steve Borthwick has not yet been ruled out of the Bath side.

Bath were on the verge of writing the 22-year-old off after he twisted an ankle late in Sunday's 30-20 defeat by Bristol Shoguns at Ashton Gate.